It’s time the US ensured the safety of school lunches

By Debra Sheldon, Contributing Writer, The Kennedy Beacon

By Debra Sheldon, Contributing Writer, The Kennedy Beacon

(This article originally appeared in The Baltimore Sun, here.)

Imagine 30 million kids, five days a week, sitting down to a meal that might be doing more harm than good. Welcome to the world of school lunches in the United States.

PUBLISHED: March 26, 2025 at 1:07 PM EDT

Imagine 30 million kids, five days a week, sitting down to a meal that might be doing more harm than good. Welcome to the world of school lunches in the United States.

New studies suggest that the typical school lunch contains foods with critically low nutritional value, dangerously high sugar levels and such harmful substances as glyphosate, pesticides and heavy metals (from drinking water). This harmful stew is making our kids among the least healthy in the world.

The numbers tell a brutal story. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 40% of school-aged children now battle a chronic disease such as asthma, obesity, diabetes or a mental health disorder — all practically unheard of a generation ago.

“By feeding kids unlimited amounts of sugar in their school meals, we are setting them up for sugar addiction and a higher lifetime risk of obesity and diabetes,” warns Nina Teicholz, author and founder of the Nutrition Coalition. “Already 38% of our children have pre-diabetes! Starting out the day with OJ and Lucky Charms for breakfast — currently the case in many schools — also sends children on a blood sugar roller coaster that affects mood, anxiety and depression. We should not be betraying our nation’s kids by selling out the school lunch program to ultra-processed food companies.” And there’s more.

A jaw-dropping investigation led by Zen Honeycutt, executive director of the nonprofit Moms Across America, tested school lunches across the country. The results are disturbing,

The organization tested 43 school lunch samples collected from 15 states, revealing striking food contamination. The study found that 10% of the samples contained Nicarbazin, a known avian contraceptive. Even more alarming, 93% of the school lunch items tested positive for glyphosate, a carcinogenic and endocrine-disrupting chemical linked to liver disease. And 74% of the samples contained at least one of 29 different harmful pesticides.

The testing uncovered additional concerns: nine of the samples contained four different veterinary drugs and hormones.

But perhaps most shocking was the finding that 100% of the school lunch samples contained heavy metals at levels up to 6,293 times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency’s maximum allowable levels in drinking water. Beyond the chemical contamination, researchers noted that the majority of the samples were critically low in nutritional value, further compromising the potential health benefits of these meals.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s nutrition guidelines have long masked a system deeply compromised by corporate interests. The current standards aren’t just ineffective, they’re dangerous.

But there’s cause for hope. The new Trump administration signals a potential shift, with the idea of rebuilding health guidelines from the ground up, through rigorous, independent scientific research.

There are also encouraging signs from elected officials. Enter Sen. Cory Booker, a legislative warrior taking on the school lunch industrial complex. The Safe School Meals Act that he introduced in the last Congress is a bold legislative attempt to revolutionize school nutrition. The proposed bill would: Set safe limits for heavy metals in school meals; ban glyphosate, paraquat and organophosphate pesticide residues; require certified organic sourcing; eliminate dangerous food additives; and direct the FDA to reevaluate food additives with known health risks.

Some states are already taking the lead. Arizona passed a bill to ban ultra-processed meals from being served to students in schools that receive federal funding. And a Texas bill, authored by State Sen. Bryan Hughes, would ban certain food additives from use in free and reduced lunches provided by school districts.

Honeycutt, who has been working closely with Booker’s office on raising awareness about the legislation, notes that “poison isn’t a partisan issue, and cancer isn’t choosy.” The team has been meeting with both Republican and Democratic lawmakers, finding surprising bipartisan support for protecting children’s health.

But hope isn’t just a legislative dream. Meet Hilary Boynton, a culinary revolutionary reimagining school nutrition from the ground up.

“Simplicity is gourmet,” she declares. “Culture precedes success. We are healing the children while feeding them.”

Her organization, School of Lunch, is more than a program — it’s a movement. “No bad ingredients equals no bad food going out to the kids,” Boynton explains. Her approach is anything but traditional. Think gut health, nutrient density and a commitment that goes far beyond checking nutritional boxes.

Boynton’s vision is ambitious. She’s changing school food culture by creating a training hub that connects local farmers, chefs and food service professionals, transforming school lunch from a bureaucratic nightmare into a joyful celebration of health. “If it’s not joyful, people won’t do it,” she argues. “People are stressed out and there is little time for anything.”

Programs like this can only be made available for public school children in need if the federal dietary guidelines change to make way for healthier menu options.

For millennials and Gen Z, this is an issue that hits close to home. Young activists are already mobilizing. Social media campaigns, local food initiatives, and grassroots organizing are creating pressure for change. This isn’t just about school lunches. This is about protecting an entire generation from a food system that’s been quietly poisoning our children, one lunch tray at a time.

The lunch bell is ringing. And this time, we’re serving up change. We should all be a part of the movement to make America healthy again.

Debra Sheldon is a contributing writer to The Kennedy Beacon on Substack and is director of special operations for the health advocacy super PAC American Values.